A comprehensive assessment can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. Length depends on the areas being assessed and the client’s tolerance and ability to engage.

An informal interview will be conducted to gather information on medical and developmental history, areas of strength, possible limitations and what the hopes are for treatment.

An assessment may be both formal and informal. Formal testing may look like the speech therapist asking the client to name, point, answer questions, follow directions, etc. An informal assessment may look like observation or casual chat/play with a client to understand their skills outside of the contest of formal testing. After the evaluation is complete, a report will be written, discussed, and provided upon request.

It is recommended to try and prepare the client for engagement with the speech therapist to avoid frustration, refusal or nervousness. It is beneficial to keep the environment minimally distracting. It can be difficult not to assist the client if they are struggling with responses, but please refrain from doing so unless we’ve asked you to help support (as to not confound the assessment results).

The client may participate with the most ease if they have eaten, have had adequate sleep, are in a comfortable environment, and haven’t been recently woken or pulled from a preferred activity.